Surface projectile target with ball dispensing means

ABSTRACT

A housing has an open side and a wall is concavely curved inwardly of the open side extending from the top to the bottom of the latter. Receptacles are mounted in the open side for turning movement about a horizontal axis and each have an opening which normally faces upwardly under the influence of a spring-biased detent a portion of which extends beneath the respective receptacle in the region of the bottom of the open side. When a marble is rolled into the open side at the bottom thereof and misses the aforementioned portion, it rolls up on the curved wall and drops into the upwardly directed opening of one of the receptacles. When the marble hits the aforementioned portion of the detent means, it thereby releases the receptacle associated therewith so that the receptacle can tilt under the influence of gravity until its opening is downwardly directed and any marbles accumulated in the receptacle can fall out onto the curved wall and are rolled back to the player.

[11 3,822,887 7 [451 Jul 9, 1974 Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerRichard J. Apley Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker 57 ABSTRACT A housing has an open side and a wall is concavely curved inwardly of the open side extending from the top to the bottom of the latter. Receptacles are mounted in the open side for turning movement about a horizontal axis and each have an opening which normally faces upwardly under the influence of a springbiased detent a portion of which extends beneath the respective receptacle in the region of the bottom of the open side. When a marble is rolled into the open sideat the bottom thereof and misses the aforemen- A63f 7/00 273/41 118-127, 177 B,

nited States Patent [191 Friedman [52] U.S.Cl.....

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' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a novel bowling game which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel bowling game which is simple and inexpensive in its construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a novel bowling game which is easy to operate.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel bowling game of the type under discussion which provides game incentives in the form of pay-offs.

In pursuance of the above-mentioned objects, and of others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a bowling game which, briefly stated, comprises a housing provided with an open side having a top and a bottom. A wall is concavelycurved inwardly of the open side and extends from the top to the bottom thereof. A plurality of receptacles are provided each having an opening; these receptacles are mounted in the open side intermediate the top and bottom for pivotal gravitational movement about horizontal axes to a first position in which the respective opening is directed downwardly. Biasing means normally urges the receptacle to a second position in which the respective opening is directed upwardly towards the top. Triggering means is also providedin the open side inthe region of the bottom and operatively associated with the biasing means in'a sense defeating the same when contacted by a rolling body rolled into the open side. Thus, those rolling bodies which miss the triggering means roll up on the wall and fall into the respective receptacles, whereas when a rolling body makes contact with a triggering means this results in pivoting of the respective receptacle and discharge of any rolling bodies accommodatedv therein back towards the player. This, in other words, is the pay-off mentioned before.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however,

both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following descriptionof specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation through the embodiment in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation through the embodiment in FIG. 1, illustrating the device in operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing the drawing now in detail it will be seen that in FIGS. 1 and 2 I have shown an exemplary embodiment of the novel bowling game which is provided with a pay-off feature. The housing of the game is identified with reference numeral 1 and has an open side 2 which, as clearly evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, has a top and a bottom. A concave wall 3 curves inwardly of the open side into the housing and extends from the top to the bottom of the open side.

Mounted in the open side intermediate the top and the bottom are one or more (three shown) receptacles 4 whose side wall facing outwardly of the open side is preferably but not necessarily transparent, for instance of synthetic plastic material of requisite type. The receptacles 4 are mounted for gravitational pivotal movement about an axis which'is horizontal when the game is in use and which is defined by the shaft 8 which is joumalled in side walls of the housing 1. The front walls of the receptacles 4 are identified with reference numeral 6 and provided with openings or cut-outs 7 through which one or more rolling bodies, such as marbles, may be introduced in order to provide an initial jackpot for later pay-off. An upper open side 5 of each of the receptacles 4 normally faces upwardly towards the top of the open side 2 of the housing 1, and the receptacles each have a tendency to pivot under gravity when released, in this instance rearwardly and inwardly into the housing, so that the open side 5 faces downwardly at least to an extent sufficient to permit marbles accommodated in the respective receptacle 4 to roll out onto the wall 3 and from there to the exterior of the housing 1.

Also mounted at the open side for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis defined by another shaft 10 which is also journalled in the side walls of the housing 1, are triggering devices 9, ofwhich one is associated with each of the receptacles 4. An' upper hook-shaped portion 9a of each device 9 is capable of engagement with a portions 4a of the respective receptacle 4 and, when so engaged, maintains the receptacle 4 against pivotal movement under the influence of gravity. The devices or arms 9 are biased to the illustrated position (see FIG. 2) by suitable biasing means, here illustrated as a spring 12 which may be connected with the respective arm 9 and a fixed portion of the housing 1, and

which thus serves asa biasing means for the receptacles 4 when the latter are engaged by arms 9. In the region of the bottom of the open side 2 each of the arms 9 carries a contact portion 11. When a marble or other rolling body (not illustrated) is rolled from the front into the housing 1 through the open side (in the direction of the arrow M in FIG. 2) it may either hit or miss one of the contact portions 1 1. If it misses it rolls up, given enough impetus, on the concavely curved wall 3 and then drops into the upper open side 5 of one of the receptacles 4. If the marble hits one of the contact portions 1 l, on the other hand, it pivots the associated arm 9 in clockwise direction about the shaft 10, thereby releasing the portion 9a from the portion 4 a, and permitting the associated receptacle 4 to tilt in counterclockwise direction about the shaft 8. Any marbles already accommodated in the receptacle 4 thus released will then fall out through the upper open side 5 onto the wall 3 and roll out of the housing 1 towards the player, providing a pay-off.

To reset the receptacle a lever 13 is operated, which is mounted for pivotal movement on a shaft 14 (see FIG. 2) and which, when turned in clockwise direction will engage during the left-hand portion of its travel the underside of a released receptacle 4 and lift the latter until the portion 4a thereof again becomes engaged with the portion 9a of its arm 9 which meanwhile has returned to the illustrated position under the influence of the associated spring 12. The arm or lever 13 may be biased in counterclockwise direction by suitable biasing means such as a spring or the like so that it will return to the illustrated position of FIG. 2 when released in order to prevent its interference with the receptacles 4 when the latter are disengaged and tilt downwardly.

It goes without saying, of course, that the spring 12 and the spring 16 biasing the lever 13 can be replaced with other suitable biasing means, for instance rubber band or the like. It will also be understood that a suitable handle l5 will be provided on the shaft 14 which will be accessible exteriorly of the housing I, for instance exteriorly of one of the side walls thereof, so that shaft 14 can be turned and the lever 13 manipulated thereby. The shaft 14 of course carries one of the levers 13 for each of the receptacles 4, but it is also possible to provide more than one shaft with each carrying one of the levers l3 and with each being provided with an exteriorly accessible handle. This would, however, make the construction unnecessarily complicated. The same reasoning is true with respect to the shaft 10, it being evident that each of the arms 9 could be mounted on a separate shaft but that this also would make the construction unnecessarily complicated. Furthermore, it is not absolutely necessary that the arms 9 be biased by any means, such as the spring 12, inasmuch as it is possible to so balance them (by requisitely weighting the portion 11) that they will assume the position shown in FIG. 2 under the influence of gravity.

FIG. 3, shows the bowling game of the present invention in operation with rolling bodies 17. When a rolling body 17 which is rolling towards opening 2, comes in contact with triggering means 11, biasing means 9a will be released from portion 4a and receptacle 4 will tilt around horizontal axis 8 in a counterclockwise direction. Before receptacle 4 comes to a resting position against lever 13, rolling bodies contained inside receptacle 4 will start rolling out thereof onto and downwardly over the concavely curved wall 3 and finally leave the open side 2. Receptacle 4 can later be lifted or rotated around shaft 8 back to its original vertically directed position and be locked and biased in this position by the engagement between by portion 4a of receptacle 4 and biasing means 9a.

Other modifications will also offer themselves to those skilled in the art and are not believed to require a detailed discussion because they are self-evident and within the scope of this disclosure.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a bowling game with pay-off, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling game, comprising rolling bodies; a housing provided with an open side having a top and a bottom; a wall concavely curved inwardly of said open side and extending from said top to said bottom thereof; a plurality of laterally adjacent receptacles each having an opening and all being mounted in said open side intermediate said top and bottom for individual pivotal gravitational movement about a common horizontal shaft to a first position in which the respective opening is directed downwardly; biasing means normally urging each of said receptacles to a second position in which the respective opening is directed upwardly towards said top; and triggering means of which said biasing means is a part, said triggering means being located in said open side in the region of said bottom and being operative for releasing the respective receptacles individually and triggering a gravitational pivoting thereof to said first position when contacted by rolling one of said bodies rolled into said open side, those of said rolling bodies which miss said triggering means rolling up on said wall and falling into the respective receptacle.

2. A bowling game as defined in claim I; and further comprising resetting means for resetting said receptacles to said second position from said first position.

3. A bowling game as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacles each have at least one transparent wall facing said open side for enabling perusal of the interior of the respective receptacle.

4. A bowling game as defined in claim 1, wherein said triggering means comprises a plurality of arms each associated with one of said receptacles and all pivotable about a horizontal axis between an operative and an inoperative position, each of said arms having an engaging portion adapted to normally and when in said operative position engage one of said receptacles and maintain it in said second position, said biasing means urging said arms to said operative position, and a contact portion adapted to be contacted by said rolling bodies whereby to move said arm to inoperative position and to disengage said engaging portion from the associated receptacle.

5. A bowling game as defined in claim 2, wherein said receptacles each have a wall facing said side and pro vided with an aperture for introduction of rolling bodies into the respective receptacle so as to establish at the will of a player a stock of such rolling bodies in the respective receptacles. 

1. A bowling game, comprising rolling bodies; a housing provided with an open side having a top and a bottom; a wall concavely curved inwardly of said open side and extending from said top to said bottom thereof; a plurality of laterally adjacent receptacles each having an opening and all being mounted in said open side intermediate said top and bottom for individual pivotal gravitational movement about a common horizontal shaft to a first position in which the respective opening is directed downwardly; biasing means normally urging each of said receptacles to a second position in which the respective opening is directed upwardly towards said top; and triggering means of which said biasing means is a part, said triggering means being located in said open side in the region of said bottom and being operative for releasing the respective receptacles individually and triggering a gravitational pivoting thereof to said first position when contacted by rolling one of said bodies rolled into said open side, those of said rolling bodies which miss said triggering means rolling up on said wall and falling into the respective receptacle.
 2. A bowling game as defined in claim 1; and further comprising resetting means for resetting said receptacles to said second position from said first position.
 3. A bowling game as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacles each have at least one transparent wall facing said open side for enabling perusal of the interior of the respective receptacle.
 4. A bowling game as defined in claim 1, wherein said triggering means comprises a plurality of arms each associated with one of said receptacles and all pivotable about a horizontal axis between an operative and an inoperative position, each of said arms having an engaging portion adapted to normally and when in said operative position engage one of said receptacles and maintain it in said second position, said biasing means urging said arms to said operative position, and a contact portion adapted to be contacted by said rolling bodies whereby to move said arm to inoperative position and to disengage said engaging portion from the associated receptacle.
 5. A bowling game as defined in claim 2, wherein said receptacles each have a wall facing said side and provided with an aperture for introduction of rolling bodies into the respective receptacle so as to establish at the will of a player a stock of such rolling bodies in the respective receptacles. 